Groepsportret van Eiso, Gerda en Netta Bergsma en dr. De Jong op rotsen te Brastagi 1926

This photograph, of Eiso, Gerda, and Netta Bergsma and Dr. De Jong on rocks in Brastagi, was taken in April 1926 by an anonymous photographer. Look how the stark monochromatic tones, from deep blacks to cloudy whites, create a world of textures. It's a great reminder that artmaking is as much about revealing as it is about concealing. See how the light catches the rough surface of the rocks? And then notice how it softens against the fabrics of the sitters clothing? It’s almost like the emulsion itself has a skin, reacting to light and time, each tiny detail adding to the emotional weight of the scene. There’s a tension here between the natural and the composed. The figures, perched on the rocks, seem to embody a kind of human interruption in the natural world, much like a painting in progress. Think about what Gerhard Richter said about photography and painting, about how one informs the other. This photo, like a painting, makes you wonder what is revealed and what remains hidden.